TRIBUTES poured in today for a popular father-of-three from Birmingham who was stabbed to death in the Danish capital of Copenhagen.

TRIBUTES poured in today for a popular father-of-three from Birmingham who was stabbed to death in the Danish capital of Copenhagen.

A city community was in mourning for Martin McCrory, a 48-year-old long distance lorry driver who was described as a "father in a million".

The tributes came as a horrifying wave of knife crime in the Midlands claimed another victim with a young man found stabbed to death in the front garden of a house in Birmingham.

The unnamed 20-year-old victim was found outside the house in Tetley Road, Sparkhill, at 11.30 last night by a member of the public.

His death brings the total number of Brummies fatally stabbed to four in eight days.

Mr McCrory, affectionately known to pals as 'Macca', was repeatedly knifed by a man who had asked his companion, a Danish woman, for a cigarette.

Today Martin's grief-stricken widow Jenny, from Tile Cross, was due to fly out to Denmark with members of the family to identify her husband's body.

The couple's eldest son Joey, who is in the British Army, was being brought back from his barracks at Aldershot this morning after being told the devastating news. They had two other children, Katie, 21 and 15-year-old Tommy.

Relatives at the family home, in Richford Grove, off Mackadown Lane, were too upset late yesterday to talk about the tragedy but a family friend, who did not want to be named, described Martin as a "father in a million".

She said: "Martin was a lovely father, a father in a million and such an inoffensive and happy, smiling man.

"He was a regular at the Mackadown Social Club and everyone loved him. He was always the first one up the bar to buy everyone a pint and he was a real family man who loved his wife and children."

Another family friend, who did not wish to be named, described him as a "happy go lucky fella".

He said: "Nothing bothered him, nothing troubled him. I am so upset over this. Why people have to go around with knives, I just don't know. This killer has torn the hearts out of four people."

Mr McCrory was attacked early yesterday on a street corner, apparently by a Danish man who became angry when he could not find a cigarette.

Chief of Police in Copenhagen Per Leo Jepsen said: "The man had a knife, and stabbed the British man several times, and he died immediately.

"This is normally a very quiet area. The girl was very shocked and we haven't been able to get exact information about what really motivated this terrible act."

A 32-year-old Danish man had been arrested a few hundred yards away from the scene and charged with murder, police added.

Mr McCrory was working for Midlands-based TNT Showfreight at the National Museum in Copenhagen and was helping to deliver equipment to set up an exhibition.

Meanwhile, part of Tetley Road remained sealed off today as police and forensics experts carried out a search of the area.

It is understood the man was pronounced dead at the scene. A post-mortem examination was due to be carried out later today.